Has Syria Crossed the "Red Line?" Should the US Intervene?

On March 21 of this year, President Obama declared that “We will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people.” Over the past week, reports are coming in that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may already have crossed this line, although there is reasonable doubt about this.

Remember, in class we discussed threats, deterrence, and how credibility is necessary for these to be successful. Read the pieces linked above and answer the following questions for participation credit:

1. Do you trust the intelligence that indicates the use of chemical weapons by Assad's government? Why or why not?
2. If so, should the US back up the threat posed by the Obama Administration? Or should we trade a bit of credibility in exchange for staying out of yet another conflict in the Middle East?

Review for Cumulative Closed-book Assessment

Well it's almost here: your IS 100 final exam. The review sheet is now available. I will be posting information about a review session shortly. I will be holding a review session from 4-5 PM on Tuesday in 105 Buckman Hall.

When taking the final, section 01 (that's 10:00 AM) meets at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, May 1. Section 02 (that's 11:00 AM) meets at 5:30 PM on Friday, May 3. You must request my permission if you want to switch sections; at the moment there is no more room in the Wednesday final.

Remember to bring a blue book. Pencil is acceptable, but I prefer you use pen. I wish you good luck, but I also wish you the foresight to put yourself in a position where good luck is unnecessary.

Current Events Reading: 4/19

Read the following articles in the Economist for Friday:

• Margaret Thatcher: Freedom Fighter
• Japan: Revolution in the Air
• Argentina's Economy: Gaucho Blues
• Nigeria: Lurching Ahead
• The Dangers of Debt: Shadows Lengthen
• Germany and the Euro: Don’t Make us Führer

Re-read (or read, if you haven't yet) the piece by Gilpin for this previous Wednesday. Identify elements in each story that reflect Gilpin's ideas of statism/mercantilism, liberalism and radicalism/Marxism.

For extra credit, share (in the comments) what the statist, liberal and radical solutions would be to the problems described in some of these stories.

Current Events Reading: 4/12

Read the following articles in the Economist for Friday:

• Coping with North Korea: Korean Roulette
• North Korean Tensions: Inside the Cult of Kim
• Sudan: Cash, Aid and Diplomacy
• Regulating the Weapons Trade: A Killer Deal

There are fewer articles due this week, so you should consider them more deeply than you normally would. As you read, take notes on how different forms of security management--Balance of Power, Deterrence, Collective Security and Disarmament--do or may apply to the conflicts inherent to each story.

For additional participation credit, share (in the comments) similarities you find between the situations in these stories and the plot lines of Charlie Wilson's War, and discuss what you think that says about either conflict.

Watch "Charlie Wilson's War" for Monday, 4/08

Charlie Wilson’s War is up and running on the class’ Moodle page. Let me know if you need help accessing it.

Note: feel free to skip over the first scene, which is about character development--not plot or politics--and includes gratuitous depictions of the female form that some might find superfluous and/or objectionable. You're all adults, so I'll let you make the call.

Consider the following—and come to class ready to discuss—as you watch:

• What examples of the exercise of power do we witness in Charlie Wilson’s War?
• What types of war take place in the film?
• What types of security management do we see in the film?
• What biases might the story be subject to, or, what might this story be leaving out?
• What questions does the movie raise for you?

Also address these questions in your critical responses. Share your responses to (some of) these questions in the comments for additional participation credit.

Current Events Reading and Exam Review: 3/22

Read the following articles in the Economist for tomorrow:

• Pope Francis: The First Southern Pope
• Israel, Palestine and America: Spell it out, Barack
• The President's Charm Offensive: Let's Do Dinner
• The Falklands Referendum: Loud and Clear
• Saving Sharks: Rays of Hope
• Maritime Security: Dragons Unite
• The War in Syria: Can Jordan Keep out of It?
• Hungary and the European Union: Viktor's Justice
• Charlemagne: A Flawed Temple
• World Trade: The Other Conclave

Identify terms from the review sheet that are relevant in each article. Prepare to come to class with a list of terms that is relevant to each article above. We will discuss the articles as they pertain to the upcoming Closed-book Assessment.

For extra participation points, share some of the terms you found in each article and explain how they are related to the story in the comments.

Review for Second Closed-book Assessment

Your second Closed-book Assessment takes place in class this Monday.

It is similar to the format of the first exam, with the caveat that you need to cite articles from the reader (maroon book) that relate to the identification term by author or title. This test is 10% of your final grade.

You may download the review sheet here. I have also scheduled a review session this Friday from 4-5 PM in Buckman 103. If you review questions but cannot make the review session, feel free to set up an appointment with me, drop by during office hours or send me an email.

Remember to bring blue exam booklets to class. If you require special accommodations, please let me know so we can make arrangements.

Online Discussion for Spring Break

I didn't find anything interesting from the Economist that I wanted to share on the blog, so I'm sharing this article about the latest threats emanating from the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea. From CNN:

A day after the isolated regime in Pyongyang had threatened a possible "preemptive nuclear attack" -- something analysts say they think it is unlikely and currently unable to do -- its official news agency reeled off a number of agreements with South Korea that it said would no longer apply.

One of those agreements is the ceasefire that has kept the Korean War on pause since 1953 (the two states are still technically at war).

Comedienne Margaret Cho plays Kim Jong Il on NBC's 30 Rock

Clearly, Kim Jong Un is writing checks he can't cash--North Korea is far weaker than South Korea, not to mention China and the United States--but that doesn't mean he can't do a whole lot of damage.

Does that mean that Kim is being irrational? What cognitive shortcuts and psychological crutches might be leading Kim to make these threats? Might there be a benefit to such irrationality? Read the article and comment for participation points.

Midterm Course Evaluations

Today, I handed out progress reports assessing your performance in this course to date. Now, I would like you to assess my progress.

Please head to the link below and fill out the midterm course evaluation. Most of the questions are required, excepting the final free response question. It should take you five minutes, at most.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3P6G7TJ

I am looking to get 75% saturation on this survey, and I won't stop bugging you until I get it.

Unlike end-of-course evaluations, these will actually help me make this class better, rather than the next one I teach. Thus, if you think you can benefit from some changes (or strongly believe things should stay the same), here is your chance to let me know--anonymously.

Current Events Reading: 3/01

Please read and come prepared to discuss the articles in the latest edition of the Economist.

Note: Friday's class will be a bit different than previous current event discussions. It will be closer to our usual lecture-cum-discussion style, and it will incorporate the readings you were assigned on Wednesday.

Be prepared to discuss how the following stories relate to the challenges to sovereignty and the "wars of globalization" discussed in the previous class' readings:

• Syria
• The Death of a Country
• The Country Formerly Known as Syria
• China and Corporate Espionage
• China's Cyber-hacking: Getting Ugly
• Cybercrime: Smoking Gun
• Who Needs Cyber-spying?
• Narcotics Decriminalization
• Illegal Drugs: The Great Experiment
• Towards a Ceasefire
• Harm Reduction: Shoots up and Leaves
• Europe's Financial Transactions Tax: Bin It
• Jamaica: Lenten Diet
• Canada's Inuit: Polar Bear Politics
• Malaysia Invaded: The Sultan's Sabah Swing
• Jordan's Election: Calming Down
• Bulgarian Politics: Power Protests
• Charlemagne: Johnnie Don't Walk Out
• Bankers' Pay: Cap and Flayed

UAE Helping Joplin Rebuild, Transform

UAE President
Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Photo credit: Wikipedia

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Joplin, MO is recovering from the devastation of the May 2011 tornado with help from an unlikely source--the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE is spending millions to help the Joplin School District "think big," funding such initiatives as replacing the books (lost in the twister) with MacBooks. While Joplin received millions from the US government for disaster recovery, this is nevertheless an example of a shift in foreign aid disbursement.

From WaPo:

Motivated by the same principal reasons that the U.S. government distributes foreign assistance — to help those less fortunate and to influence perceptions among the recipients — the handouts mark a small but remarkable shift in global economic power.

How does what's happening in Joplin reflect a shift in global power, and what types of power are involved? Is it a good thing that Joplin is taking money from the UAE to recover?

Read the article and share your (reasoned) thoughts in the comments for participation credit.

Current Events Reading: 2/15

Please read and come prepared to discuss the following articles in the latest edition of the Economist:

• The World This Week: Politics (p. 8)
• Change in North Korea (p. 11)
• North Korea: Rumblings from Below (pp. 24-6)
• The Sequester and Defence: Thinking the Unthinkable (pp. 30-1)
• The Census: Some Other Race (pp. 31-2)
• Hillary Clinton Bows Out: A Legacy at Foggy Bottom (p. 33)
• The IMF and Argentina: Motion of Censure (pp. 38-40)
• China and Japan: Locked On (p. 41)
• South-East Asia and China: All Change at ASEAN (p. 42)
• Banyan: A Decent Interval (p. 44)
• War and Peace in Mali: The Battle Moves to the Mountains (pp. 48-9)
• EU and Migration: The Next Wave? (p. 54)
• Charlemagne: Europe à l’Hollandaise (p. 56)

As you read, take note of who the state actors are, what other types of actors they're interacting with, and what role sovereignty plays in the story.

Current Events Reading: 2/08

Please read and come prepared to discuss the following articles in the latest edition of the Economist:

• The World This Week | Politics (p. 6)
• Immigration Reform: Let Them Stay, Let Them In (p. 10)
• Chaos in Egypt: Tahrir Squandered (pp. 10-1)
• Egypt: To the Barricades, again (pp. 17-9)
• Lexington: John Kerry, Reporting for One Last Duty (p. 26)
• Latin American Integration: Past and Future (p. 29)
• Fighting in Myanmar and Its Ripples in China
• Talking Peace, Waging War (pp. 30-1)
• The Kachin Dilemma (p. 31)
• China and North Korea: On the Naughty Step (p. 34)
• Iran's Nuclear Diplomacy and Its Presidential Poll
• Where's the Deal? (pp. 36-7)
• Make no Mistake (p. 37)
• Syria's Refugees: Drowning in the Flood (pp. 37-8)
• Israel's Rising Star: Man of Peace? (p. 38)
• Mali and France: Where are the Jihadists? (pp. 38-9)
• Turkey's Army: Erdogan and his Generals (pp. 40-1)
• Serbia and Kosovo: Inching Closer (pp. 41-2)
• Charlemagne: Transatlantic Trading (p. 44)
• How to be British: Patriotism Recycled (p. 46)
• Obituary: Joseph Glemp (p. 86)

For this week, search for examples of the review sheet terms in each article. Be prepared to come to class and share these examples with members of your group.

First Closed-book Assessment

Your first Closed-book Assessment takes place in class on Monday, February 11. As the title states, this is a closed-book exam. Please be sure to supply your own pen and blue book.

If you did not pick up a copy of the review sheet in class (or have since misplaced it) you may download a copy.

In addition, I am holding a review session in 222 Buckman Hall this Wednesday, February 6, from 4-5 PM. If you cannot make it but would like to discuss the review terms or the test itself, you should stop by my office hours on Wed or make an appointment.

You may also ask me questions about the review terms via email, but keep in mind that I will be out of town from Thursday night through Sunday night, and may not be the quickest to respond. Your current events discussion on Friday will also center around the review sheet.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me during class, stop by my office or send me an email.

Current Events Reading: 2/01

Please read and come prepared to discuss the following articles in the latest edition of the Economist:

• The World This Week: Politics
• Europe
• Britain and Europe: the Gambler
• Europe and Britain: the Cameron is Coming 
• Charlemagne: Europe's Odd Couple
• Radical Islamism
• International Terrorism: Afrighanistan?
• Jihad in Africa: the Danger in the Desert
• The Intervention in Mali: Sand on Their Boots
• Israel
• Israel's Election: the Hawk's Wings Are Clipped
• Israel's Arab-led Parties: Not Much of a Mark

As you read, take notes and prepare to discuss the role that identity, norms and class conflict play in each story.

NATO Deploys Anti-Missile Tech to Turkey-Syria Border

Source: Wikipedia

According to RT, NATO--the alliance that the US built to counter the Soviets in the early years of the Cold War--has deployed Patriot anti-missile technology to the Turkey-Syria border.

The deployment is ostensibly to insulate Turkey, a NATO ally, from the violence in Syria (which did briefly spill over into Turkey last fall).

The deployment raises questions about the value of the NATO alliance. Without a Soviet threat, NATO must find other threats to respond to or fade into irrelevance. But is it good for the US to be entangled in an alliance that could draw the nation into yet another conflict in the Middle East?

Read the article, and share your carefully considered and factually supported opinion for participation points.

Current Events Reading: 1/25

Please read and come prepared to discuss the following articles in the latest edition of The Economist:

• The World This Week: Politics (p. 6)
• US Foreign Policy
• Barack Obama: How Will History See Me? (pp. 9-10)
• American Foreign Policy: Time to Engage (p. 26-8)
• Israel
• Israel's Election: Don't Give Up (p. 10)
• Israel's Election: Which Way for Binyamin Netanyahu? (pp. 50-1)
• Mali
• France, Mali and Algeria: Get Stuck in But Don't Get Stuck (p. 11)
• The Crisis in Mali and Algeria: Jihad in the Sahara (pp. 49-50)
• France's President: François Hollande's New War Trappings (pp. 53-4)
• Charlemagne: Europe in a Foreign Field (p. 57)
• Senkaku/Diaoyu Crisis
• The Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands: Dangerous Shoals (pp. 12-4)
• China and Japan Square Up: The Drums of War (pp. 43-4)
• Britain
• Euroscepticism: A Tory Taxonomy (p. 59)
• Bagehot: Slimming the Ranks (p. 60)
• A History of Guerrilla Warfare: How the Weak Vanquish the Strong (pp. 80-1)

As you read, take notes on who the primary actors are, what are they doing, and what explanations the modern paradigms (defensive realist, offensive realist and liberal institutionalist) provide us as to why they are doing so.

Studying for the Map Quiz

Molly directed me to a website that can help you with your Geography Assessment grade. While memorization is really the only route to succeeding on the Map Test, you can practice with Sporkle.

Sporkle: Geography Quizzes

Beware, the regions on the website don't match up with the regions on your quizzes and tests. Nevertheless, they may still help you study. If you can think of any other resources that you'd like to share with the class, email them to me or share them in the comments.

Current Events Reading: 1/18

Please read and come prepared to discuss the following articles in the latest issue of The Economist:

• The World This Week: Politics | Business (pp. 8-9)
• The President's New Security Team: Obama Picks His Soldiers (p. 26)
• Afghanistan's Fearful Future: So Long, Buddy (pp. 33-4)
• Syria's Conflict: No End in Sight (p. 41)
• Aid to Rwanda: The Pain of Suspension (pp. 43-4)
• Turkey and the PKK: Peace at Last? (p. 48)
• Piracy: Privateers (p. 54)

Come to class understand who the "big players" in each story are, what they want, and how they intend to get it. Try to view these stories through the lenses of Realism, Liberal Institutionalism and Constructivism.

US, Russia, and the Tough Road Ahead

Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Image credit: Wikipedia

Russia is back off the mat and playing a major role in international politics once again.

While not the existential rival that they were during the Cold War, many of President Vladimir Putin's policies have squarely opposed US intervention in areas such as Iran, Syria and North Korea.

Anne Gearan at the Washington Post argues that Russia's foreign policy could pose serious problems for President Obama's second-term agenda.

Read the article, and decide whether Russia's actions exemplify realism or liberalism. Explain why for participation credit.